Golden Jubilee Games - Ismaili Sporting legends

Zee's Notes: Being at the Canadian Ismaili Games brought back a flood of memories for the likes of me - I played in many of the Triangular Games in the 70's and 80's -back then there were no restrictions on what sports one could participate in. I remember playing soccer, basketball, International Volleyball and Cricket. What transpired was that this weekend I met with so many of the friends from those days - from all parts of Canada. So personally for me it was all about the reconnection of friendships going back some 30 years.

One aspect we always forget is the pioneers who indeed were legends in their respective sports. But the interesting thing is the stories that come as time progresses and it never seizes to amaze me that each individual has his or her own unique story. Here are some I met this weekend:

Fayaz Hasham (Keshvani) - a Kenyan cricket legend who now lives in Toronto. In the early eighties he first lived in Vancouver, where I played on the AK Club with him,before he moved to the Centre of the Universe (Toronto). I found out his son Shahid is a very promising cricket player who represented Canada at the Under-19 level and is currently on track to try out for the Canadian National Cricket Team - I hope he gets there.

Kamru Shamasdin - another cricketer fom Nairobi also in Toronto. Kamru is one generous human being - I remember one year 5 young Vancouver cricketers showed up in Toronto without a place to stay and without hesitation he took us to his home in Pickering and it was one of the most enjoyable weekends that I can remember - better than any 5 star hotel. His sporting genes have carried on famously with his sons - son #1 Jamil went to Harvard University on a Track scholarship and son #2 Irfan went to Brown - also an Ivy League University - on a Tennis Scholarship. Irfan and a third son Adil were at the CIG games playing tennis.

Badru Jinnah (Bhamji) - if you were from Dar-es-salaam then this man needs no introduction. Bhamji was Ismaili Cricket in Dar. He was one of those leaders that when they stepped on the field you felt your team was safe - no matter what the circumstance Bhamji would either hit some boundaries or bowl out the opposition for the win. Now his son took a different turn - seems Bhamji for years owned a farm in the Vancouver suburb of Chilliwack and since there is no cricket there Hanif decided to be a rodeo star and a few years ago he was almost the Canadian Calf Roping Champion at the nationals.

Aziz Meghji - probably there has never been any Ismaili athlete in the last 50 years to compare to this gentleman. Aziz Meghji stands alone in stature and he has been called, by those who watched him perform in his heyday, as the greatest Ismaili athlete - EVER ! Aziz had the unique ability to master any sport he tried - people still talk about the cricket games he won for the Aga Khan Club in Nairobi in the 1960's and he was the first Ismaili ever, I think, to represent a country (Kenya) at the Olympic games in Mexico City where he played Tennis. After coming to Vancouver in the early 70's he started playing golf and in his late 60's this amazing legend was a scratch golfer - something people never achieve in their lifetime - truly a master athlete. His niece's 19 year old son Adam won the CIG golf tournament this weekend.

In the days to come I hope to highlight some more stories from the games....

Road to Kenya - or back to my roots...

Zee's Notes: Inshallah in 6 weeks i'll be joining the athletes and spectators on the Road to Kenya as part of the Golden Jubilee Games to be held in Nairobi. Now for me it's going to be 35 years since I left as a young lad with my family. Though I am born and spent much of my childhood in Dar-es-salaam, it is Nairobi, where I spent just 2 years, that has forever stayed etched in my heart as being the best place I ever remember in Africa. I vividly recall the Hirani Estates in Parklands where we lived, I can never forget the Aga Khan Academy where I studied and I hope that ice cream place run by the most kindly gentleman from South Africa is still there. My dream as a youngster was to play for the Aga Khan Cricket Club and many afternoons after school I would go watch the likes of Fayaz Hasham, Kamru Shamasdin and Shamshu Allidina, to name a few, practice at the Parklands facility - heck sometimes they would even let me bowl a few at them. The irony is that many years later I would play cricket in Canada with these very same legends of East African cricket. Life was simple and when I go back I hope to connect back to that time when the world seemed so conquerable and Africa was a land of great optimism and promise. I look back and consider myself darn lucky to have the opportunity to grow up in Canada but going back will bring back those days - well you know the feeling - it's not going home but it's going back to your roots...Here is something I saw on the net yesterday - hope you like it...

Prince Aga Khan arrives May 19

Unb, Dhaka

Prince Aga Khan, Imam of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims, will arrive in the city on May 19 on a four-day state visit to Bangladesh.His visit marks the golden jubilee of his Imamat. Prince Aga Khan became the Imam on July 11, 1957.Habib Hirji, president of the Aga Khan National Council, told reporters at a local hotel that during his stay, Prince Aga Khan will call on the president and the chief adviser and hold meetings with several advisers.Prince Aga Khan will lay the foundation of the Aga Khan Academy at Basundhara and a permanent Jamat Khana of the community.The Aga Khan Academy was built on 21 acres of land at a cost of around US$ 50 million to teach brilliant students from the primary to the secondary level, and impart training to teachers. An official of the Aga Khan Foundation said some 750 to 1200 Bangladeshi students will be admitted to the Academy on the basis of merit. The medium of teaching will be both Bangla and English.

ISMAILIS ARRIVE FOR 2008 GAMES

Thousands of Ismaili Muslims from across the country gathered in Vancouver this weekend to celebrate the 2008 Canadian Ismaili Games. The games, which celebrate 50 years of the Aga Khan’s leadership, take place May 2 to 5 and involve about 1,000 athletes. Winners will represent Canada at the Golden Jubilee Games in Nairobi, Kenya, in June. Some of the athletes are Olympic hopefuls and compete at the national level. The Canadian Ismaili Games are a National Golden Jubilee program and part of the first-ever global Ismaili sports festival. The theme of the games is Celebration Through Sport, reflecting the spirit of commemorating the Golden Jubilee and showcasing excellence in athletic accomplishment. Pictured here is the Calgary Spirit Squad performing at the Games Village at UBC.

Hollywood North: Producers hope to help kids

Ward Perrin / Vancouver Sun


Sanjay is a kid who has just moved to North America from Mumbai. He is a sarcastic comedian who loves Bollywood. He also wants everybody to agree with him.
Damaris is Cuban and Spanish-speaking but she has been living outside of Cuba for most of her life. She is a shy loner who escapes this world through books, making her the exact opposite of the typical Spanish cartoon character.
These are two of the eight lovable characters from around the world who make up the eclectic, colourful cast of a new animated television show for kids being produced here called Mixed Nutz. Its aim is to make kids curious about different cultures through entertainment.
"This business is something we believe can help change the world," said Shabnam Rezaei, who launched it with her husband, Aly Jetha. The pair, who have just moved here from New York City, come from as diverse backgrounds as their characters.
Rezaei, who speaks five languages, was born in Iran, but moved to Austria when she was 10 to attend an international school. She and her brother were sent there to avoid the Iran-Iraq war.
At the age of 18, she moved to the U.S. to get a degree from the University of Pennsylvania in computer science and literature.
"When I graduated, I went to New York to get a good job like a good Iranian girl would in a good solid field with a good salary. That was in financial software," she said in an interview in a trendy Yaletown warehouse where the pair have set up an animation studio.
She cruised through various companies like Deloitte Touche, also setting up shop for a company called Exis in London for three years. Each company tried to hold her interest but she quickly grew bored each time.
Jetha was born in Ndola, Zambia. His family lived in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, for two generations. His forefathers are Indian from Gujarat and Ismaili. He moved to Vancouver when he was two.
Talk about multicultural.
Like his wife's, his professional background is about as far from the entertainment industry as Bambi is from hip-hop. His curriculum vitae sounds more like a high-flying serial entrepreneur than a maker of film: graduation from St. George's private school, an undergraduate degree in political science from UBC, two years with the United Nations as a representative of the Canadian government on various international political matters, law school at Berkeley, a member of the California bar, management consulting for Bain & Co. which is a consultant to Fortune 100 companies, launching a semi-conductor computer chip company in 1998, becoming a founding member of a New York-based telecommunications and transaction processing company called Via One. He remains that company's chief executive officer.
In 2003, he married Rezaei and moved to New York, putting a new spin on life.Despite the pair's heavyweight business backgrounds, their passions obviously lie elsewhere.
That became clear when Rezaei, while working for a company that produced trading and operational accounting software for banks, started a website called the Persian Mirror. It was phenomenally successful, drawing around five million hits a month.
Because there was so much interest in Persian culture, she and Jetha aimed to make the equivalent of a Charlie Brown's Christmas for Persian kids. But instead of Christmas, which has no status in that culture, they settled on the Persian new year.
The result, Babak and Friends, which has both English and Farsi versions, screened in more than 30 museums in the world. The response was great from Persians and non-Persians alike. Non-Persians wanted to know where they could buy special goat cheese and bread to feed their kids for breakfast. The kids were asking for it. They had seen it in the show.
The success of Babak and Friends just fuelled the fire. The couple wanted to do bigger and better things. That drove them down the nutty road of making Mixed Nutz.
By the fall, they hope to have completed 26 22-minute episodes that will be dubbed into five languages to be shown around the world. It's all originating from here.
The pair hastily set up shop over a two-week period over Christmas and New Year's. Big Bad Boo Studios, as their headquarters is called, has a makeshift look about it but it is a cauldron of creativity. You can hear the faint squeak of pencil on paper and the steady click of computer keys as this mini animation factory works out the nuts and bolts of Mixed Nutz.
A glimpse into some of the episodes show a delightful romp into the lives of a group of fictitious children from around the world who the animators bring to life. The show turns the daily stuff of a kid's life - schoolyard squabbles, food issues, fights with parents, trying to fit in - into grist for a grander message about everyone from everywhere getting along.
Norooz Productions, as the couple's company is called, has 20 people working here, four in Los Angeles and two in New York. Why, you might ask, did they set up shop here?
Jetha has no problem answering that. Having grown up here, he loves Vancouver. Both he and Rezaei found that in Canada, pluralism and multi-culturalism are a much greater part of daily life than in the U.S. "When I moved to the States, I realized people were not as geographically or culturally aware of anything outside their borders," said Jetha. In that sense, locating the studio here has helped raise the bar for Mixed Nutz. While many here might not realize it, the Vancouver area is a world hub for animation.
Finally, the government's tax credits proved a powerful magnet. They made setting up shop here viable.
On a recent trip to their studio, Rezaei and Jetha played snippets of their show. Each has their favourites.
For Jetha, it's one where Sanjay gets a childhood crush on his teacher. He envisions her in a Bollywood film.
For Rezaei, it's when the character Sousanne has a fight with her mother and decides to run away from home with Damaris who lost her mother when she was very young. Damaris wonders why Sousanne is running away when she is so lucky to have a mother.
"I really identify with Damaris because I think anyone who has been displaced or has had parents missing from their lives can really identify with her situation," said Rezaei. "She is a very sweet character."
To avoid getting cheap laughs on the backs of ethnic stereotypes, the pair have brought in cultural advisors. "That makes the show smart," said Jetha. "We don't want to portray cliches. We want to stay away from on-the-nose lessons."
The pair have taken a decidedly different route than the makers of most animation productions who usually go to a network and pre-sell to fund the show. "We are pretty passionate about what we are creating," said Rezaei. "We wanted to just fund it ourselves. So we raised money from private investors as well as some foundations."
The pair knew, too, that their success depended on getting the right people into place and creating a team.They brought on board Emmy award winner and composer Randy Rogel, who has written music for shows like The Legend of Tarzan and Batman.
Alfred Gimeno, a real icon in the animation industry, has won three Emmys, worked on shows like Madagascar and the Smurfs and for companies like Disney, Warner Bros. and DreamWorks. He, too, was brought on board.
The animation director is Glen Kennedy who trained under Hanna-Barbera, the old Hollywood behemoth that produced many successful cartoon shows like The Huckleberry Hound Show, The Flintstones, Top Cat, The Yogi Bear Show and The Smurfs. He has been running animation production studios in Asia for about 22 years.
Together with their talented staff, Jetha and Rezaei are on a mission. "Anything that brings people together, especially kids, is a good thing," said Jetha.
"It's important to realize," said Rezaei, "that at the end of the day, we are all the same."

yzacharias@png.canwest.com

Walk to fight global poverty set for May 25

The Province; News Services
Published: Sunday, April 27, 2008

The 24th annual World Partnership Walk raising awareness and funds to fight global poverty is being added to the list of B.C.'s 150th anniversary celebrations, the B.C. Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts announced Thursday.
The Vancouver walk will begin at Lumberman's Arch in Stanley Park on May 25, and in Beacon Hill Park in Victoria the same day.

Since the walk was founded by the Aga Khan Foundation in Vancouver 24 years ago it has raised more than $40 million, and last year alone $5 million was collected to fund education, improve health care, increase rural homes and build community organizations in Asia and Africa.
To register for the World Partnership Walk, visit http://www.worldpartnershipwalk.com/.

To check out more B.C. 150 events, visit www.bc150.ca.

Aga Khan on State Visits to West Africa

Ferid Nandjee, AKDN Resident Representative, Youssouf Bakayoko, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and His Highness the Aga Khan during the arrival at the Felix Houphouet Boigny International Airport in Abidjan.
Photo Credit: Gary Otte

Click here for complete news and photos on AKDN website...

Groundbreaking Islamic Documentary Comes to Stanford for Bay Area Debut

Sponsored by the Office of Religious Life and the Vice Provost of Student Affairs at Stanford University.
April 30th, 2008 – Stanford University – 7pm – Open to public – Tickets: Free with RSVP

AN ISLAMIC CONSCIENCE: The Aga Khan & the Ismailis
At a time when the divides between the Muslim and non-Muslim worlds seems to be getting worse, not better, this is a film that must be seen. PLUS: After the film there will be a special panel and Q&A with Shamir Allibhai, Filmmaker & Harvard Master's candidate; and Shazad Bashir, Professor, Department of Religious Studies, Stanford University;
To RSVP for this event, please click here: http://agakhanfilm.eventbrite.com

**Seating is limited. RSVP guarantees you a seat.**

Details:
April 30th, 2008 – 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Annenberg Auditorium, Stanford University
435 Lasuen Mall
Palo Alto, CA 94301

Tickets: FREE to students and general public

Click here to go to Director Shamir Allibhai's blog page...

Book launch of "A REGAL ROMANCE" and Other Memories by Ameer Janmohamed

Coastweek - - 150 friends, literati and members of the publishing world in London gathered for a sumptuous lunch at the Oatlands Park Hotel on Sunday 20th.

Click here for the complete article...

Prof. Quassim Cassam, Knightbridge Professor of Philosophy at University of Cambridge writes: "....this is more than just a family history.
It also paints a vivid and insightful picture of life in Kenya before and after independence.
With its tales of migration, the Empire and race, this very personal story is also a social history.
Anyone interested in the culture, outlook and history of ethnic Indians and the Ismaili Muslim community in East Africa should read this fascinating book".

Interesting people you meet every day...

Zee's notes: It never seizes to amaze me the people you meet everyday and in the strangest of circumstances. When I organized a travel group from Vancouver 2 weeks ago for the LA Darbar we had 3 great ladies (sisters) who joined us and I briefly met one of the sons who lives in LA - though I didn't find out till yesterday when I googled him as to what he does - well what a humble fellow he turned out to be - turns out Munir collects post-graduate degrees as a hobby at Ivy league Universities (Columbia and Harvard no doubt) - seriously though he is now at University of California - Berkeley as a Director of Islamic Studies !









Munir Jiwa, director of the Center for Islamic Studies, and assistant professor of Islamic Studies, has a rich background in engaging difference. His research has addressed mass media portrayals of Islam and Muslims. Jiwa was previously at the University of Toronto, where he was a Mellon postdoctoral fellow in the Department and Center for the Study of Religion. He holds a master’s degree in religion from Harvard and a doctorate in anthropology from Columbia University.

University of Western Ontario's Faisel Adam Gulamhussein is a winner of the Governor General's Medal.

Faisel Gulamhussein

Zee's Notes: We missed this in our website a couple of years ago - but this math genius achieved the highest academic honor. Great Stuff !!!

Gulamhussein's win of Governor General's Medal makes it a trifecta for Statistics and Actuarial Sciences...

Morning Chai and Skype - bringing families closer...

Morning Chai has now partnered with Skype - the worlds cheapest way to connect with friends and family...click on the banner for long distance savings...

In the news April 27th, 2008 from AKDN and TheIsmaili.org...

Prince Hussain, Princess Khaliya and Prince Rahim listening to the proceedings during the Inauguration Ceremony for the Komoguel I Mosque in Mopti.
Photo Credit: Gary Otte


Aga Khan in Mopti and Timbuktu...

Prince Amyn inaugurates the Ismaili Economic Forum in Dubai...

Gala strengthens partnership between Ismaili Community and Quebec...

Ismaili Young Achievers Programme (IYAP), Uganda...

Canadian Ismaili Games - Vancouver, BC - Venue Map

View Larger Map



Zee's notes: We are now less than a week away from what should be a weekend that many will never forget in Vancouver. The magic of the Canadian Ismaili Community will descend on the many venues throughout the city.

Above is the venue map where many of the activities will occur as well as places of interest such as JK's, Athletes village and actual sports venues. Click on the 'View Larger Map' link above for places where you'll see the Ismailis renew or make new lifetime frienships, see many gifted athletes and to generally have a fun weekend. You can get directions as well as ensure you get the most out of the games.

As well here is the UBC map :

View Larger Map

From the Games Website:

Schedules

Click here for the latest schedules.


Facilities - Sporting Venues

Badminton - UBC, Student Recreation Centre
Basketball - UBC, Student Recreation CentreUBC, War Memorial
Chess- UBC, Student Recreation Centre
Cricket - Minoro Park (Sunday)Brockton (Monday)
Golf - Northview Golf & Country Club
Int'l Volleyball - UBC, War Memorial Gym
Soccer - UBC, Soccer Fields
Squash - Vancouver Racquet Club
Swimming - UBC, Aquatic Centre
Table Tennis - UBC, Osborne Gym
Tennis - UBC, Tennis Centre
Track & Field - UBC, Minoru Park
Trad'l Volleyball - UBC, War Memorial Gym
Wrestling - SFU (Saturday)UBC, Osborne Gym (Monday)

Friday May 2nd

9 am to 4 pm: Athletes arrive in Vancouver where they will be met at the airport and transported to the registration venue. Athletes should attempt to arrive in Vancouver either Thursday evening or Friday no later than 2 pm.

TBD: Jamatkhana at UBC

8 pm: Opening Ceremonies and Athlete Meet and Greet featuring live entertainment, great food, and the lighting of the CIG Torch

Saturday May 3rd

7 am to 6 pm: The tournament begins with round robin play and qualifying heats in all sports

10 am to 4 pm: Athletes and guests are welcome to enjoy the Canadian Ismaili Games Village at UBC

TBD: Jamatkhana

8 pm: CIG Celebration featuring live entertainment, athlete showcase, great food, and much more! Invite all of your friends and family to this celebration of sport and the Golden Jubilee!

Sunday May 4th

7 am to 6 pm: The Games continue with playoffs beginning in some sports

10 am to 4 pm: Athletes and guests are welcome to enjoy the Canadian Ismaili Games Village at UBC

TBD: Jamatkhana at UBC

8 pm: Feature Games and BBQ. The stands will be packed as some of our best compete in basketball and volleyball

Monday May 5th

9 am to 4 pm: The Champions are crowned as the playoffs in all sports are completed. Medals will be awarded at the conclusion of each final event

4 pm: Athlete Departure Lounge. Live entertainment and refreshments before you board the bus taking you to the airport

Where Hope Takes Root - MHI's new book out soon

In Where Hope Takes Root, a collection of talks given over the past six years, the Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslims—a sizable number of whom live in Canada—sets out the principles that inform his vision of peaceful, productive societies. He returns again and again to the three cornerstones upon which his many years of work in the developing world are based: democracy, pluralism and civil society. Democracy, always fragile, must be nurtured in practical and flexible ways, he says. Pluralism must be embraced in both fact and spirit. And engaged civil society, which the Aga Khan defines broadly as including doctors’ and journalists’ associations, women’s groups, social movements and village organizations, must be actively supported in countries around the globe.

Projected release: May 2008

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Check out these DVD's at Amazon !!!

Aga Khan and the Ismailis: Collector's Edition

Director: Bill Cran;Shamir Allibhai;Jane Chablani

Amazon Review:
Kelly Fulkerson (Cambridge, MA) - What I found most interesting, and refreshing, about this film was the attention paid to the Aga Khan's relationship to the Ismailis, rather than focusing solely on theology. The focus on the story of Prince Karim allows for an informative and accessible means of learning more about both the Aga Khan himself and the tradition as a whole. The film is very well-organized and does a nice job of detailing the development and history of the Ismaili community, especially through the discussions from professors and other speakers. Overall, it is very easy to follow while simultaneously raising complex discussions.

An Islamic Conscience: the Aga Khan and the Ismailis

Director: Bill Cran;Shamir Allibhai;Jane Chablani

Amazon Review
J. Roy (GA USA) - Well researched and well directed video. Covers overall aspect of the Ismaili tariqah of Islam. It seems impossible to ever come across this great man and at the same time he hardly speaks. For that reason I am most thankful for the interview by the Aga Khan which includes in this video. I am truly inspired by the work of Aga Khan Development Network. Hope one day we will have a DVD on Fatimids.

Living Camera: Aga Khan (1961)

Director: Robert Drew

* He is the 49th hereditary Imam of the Ismailis and a descendant of the Prophet Mohammed. As Imam his main role is to guide his community - spiritually and in secular matters. * The Aga Khan's original name is Prince Karim and he was born on Dec 13, 1936 * He became Imam when he was just a twenty year-old student at Harvard on July 11, 1957 when the previous Imam died * The Aga Khan places an emphasis on tolerance, dialogue and pluralism and sees this as rooted in the ethics of Islam. He advocates a balance between the spiritual and the material world. * The Aga Khan is the founder of the Aga Khan Development Network which is the largest private development agency. It spends $400Million/year and through its activities, employs 70,000 people. * 2007-2008 is the Aga Khan's Golden Jubilee - 50 years as spiritual leader / head of the Ismailis

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Exceptional Coffee Table Book !

Under the Eaves of Architecture: The Aga Khan: Builder and Patron (Hardcover)

Zee's notes: This book is not about architecture. It is about how MHI is making a difference in the lives of millions of people in the world and bringing hope where there seemed to be none. It is powerful yet the message is so simple. There is an interview with the author where MHI candidly reveals his motivation to helping the poorest citizens in the globe. Did you know that MHI had planned and had been accepted to attend MIT and study Sciences before changing his mind and eventually enrolling at Harvard for a degree in Islamic Studies...

Book Description: This thematically arranged book displays the full range of the Aga Khan's patronage of architecture.
The Aga Khan is one of the most ardent patrons of architecture and historic preservation in the world. Since inheriting his title as spiritual leader of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims, usually known as Ismailis, fifty years ago, he has fostered and commissioned numerous structures and restored a multitude of buildings from North America to East Africa. The prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture, first given in 1980, recognizes projects that benefit the Muslim world for their excellence in contemporary design, community improvement and development, restoration, re-use, and area conservation. For the first time, this book presents projects from universities and historic restoration programs that bear the Aga Khan's name to religious centers, museums, and development efforts in more than twenty countries. Through the Aga Khan Development Network, the Aga Khan occupies a unique place in the world of architecture and this book reveals the range and breadth of his activities.
About the Author: Philip Jodidio has published numerous books on contemporary architecture, including Architecture: Art and Architecture: Nature (both by Prestel) and Cairo: Revitalising a Historic Metropolis (Aga Khan Trust for Culture). He lives in Grimentz, Switzerland.

Aga Khan: The architect of universal good

In an exclusive interview with Weekend Review during his visit to Dubai, where he inaugurated the Ismaili Centre, the Aga Khan said the problems of extremism and terrorism have nothing to do with Islam


Click here for complete article...

The Annual Schools' Conference - Aga Khan Education Board for UK

'Contemporary Conversations' is an Annual Schools' Conference sponsored by the Aga Khan Education Board for the United Kingdom.

The Aga Khan Education Board for the United Kingdom (AKEB), in collaboration with teachers from secondary schools, has launched an Annual Schools' Conference, 'Contemporary Conversations', for students in Years 11 and 12. This conference furthers one of AKEB's key objectives; namely "adding value to formal education".

Click here for the details on this initiative...


Zee's Notes: Interesting topic for this years Conference topic - 'Ethical Shadows on Sports' coinciding with the first ever World Ismaili Games scheduled to be held in Nairobi June 23-29th.

The Aga Khan in America

Eboo Patel is founder and executive director of the Interfaith Youth Core, a Chicago-based international nonprofit that promotes interfaith cooperation. His blog, The Faith Divide, explores what drives faiths apart and what brings them together. He is the author of Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation. An American Muslim of Indian heritage, Eboo has a doctorate in the sociology of religion from Oxford University, where he studied on a Rhodes scholarship. He is on the Religious Advisory Committee of the Council on Foreign Relations, the National Committee of the Aga Khan Foundation and the Advisory Board of Duke University's Islamic Studies Center. Eboo is an Ashoka Fellow, part of a select network of social entrepreneurs with ideas that could change the world


Click here for his perspective on MHI's USA Visit in The Washington Post ...

Aga Khan Visits Mali

His Highness the Aga Khan, Prince Rahim, Prince Hussain and Princess Khaliya are received at Bamako airport by President of Mali, Amadou Toumani Touré. Credit: Gary Otte

More pictures and speech here on AKDN website...

Translated article from Mali newspaper...

FSA hires ex-Barclays executive Naguib Kheraj as an adviser

Naguib Kheraj

The Financial Services Authority has hired Barclays' former finance director to advise it on enforcing the recommendations of its own review into the way it handled the collapse of Northern Rock.
Naguib Kheraj, who was finance director at Britain's third-biggest bank between 2004 and March last year, will join the City watchdog on a part-time basis from Monday.

Read complete article here...

Mr Kheraj uses his financial knowhow for the benefit of the Wellcome Trust, where he is a member of the investment committee, and is on the executive committee of Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs. He is also a governor of the Institute of Ismaili Studies, which promotes Islamic scholarship, and is the chairman of the Aga Khan Foundation's UK branch.